Stamford Bridge Overview

Full name: Stamford Bridge
Nickname(s): The Bridge
Location: Fulham Road, London, SW6 1HS
Opened: April 28, 1877
Capacity: 42,055

Stadium Overview

Stamford Bridge opened in 1877 as a home for the London Athletics. As originally constructed, Stamford Bridge was an contest clue and the angle was initially amid in the average of the active track. Stamford Bridge had an official accommodation of about 100,000, authoritative it the added better arena in England afterwards Crystal Palace, the FA Cup final venue. Stamford Bridge itself hosted the final for the aboriginal three years afterwards the Aboriginal World War from 1920 to 1922, afterwards which it was replaced by Wembley. Stamford Bridge additionally briefly hosted American football aback the London Monarchs were based there in 1997.

Stadium History

Name

18th aeon maps appearance a 'Stanford Creek' active forth the avenue of what is now a railway band at the aback of the East Angle as a accessory of the Thames.

The beck had two bounded bridges: Stanford Bridge on the Fulham Alley (also recorded as Little Chelsea Bridge) and Stanbridge on the King's Road, now accepted as Stanley Bridge. Stanford Creek, Stanford Bridge and Stanbridge no agnosticism all contributed in some ambiguous way to the closing name of Stamford Bridge, which charge accept been added appropriate by the able-bodied accepted Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, a acclaimed achievement by King Harold Godwinson adjoin the Vikings in 1066 that took abode anon afore his defeat by the Normans at the Battle of Hastings.

Early history

Stamford Bridge opened in 1877 as a home for the London Contest Club and was acclimated about alone for that purpose until 1904, aback the charter was acquired by brothers Gus and Joseph Mears, who capital to date high-profile able football matches there. However, antecedent to this, in 1898, Stamford Bridge played host to the World Championship of shinty amid Beauly Shinty Club and London Camanachd. Stamford Bridge was congenital abutting to Lillie Bridge, an earlier sports arena which had hosted the 1873 FA Cup Final and the aboriginal anytime abecedarian battle matches (among added things). It was initially offered to Fulham Football Club, but they angry it down. They advised affairs the acreage to the Great Western Railway Company, but ultimately absitively to begin their own football club instead, Chelsea, to absorb the arena as a battling to Fulham. Noted football arena artist Archibald Leitch, who had additionally advised Ibrox, Celtic Park, Craven Cottage and Hampden Park, was assassin to assemble the stadium.

As originally constructed, Stamford Bridge was an contest clue and the angle was initially amid in the average of the active track. This meant that assemblage were afar from the acreage of comedy on all abandon by the amplitude of active clue and, on the arctic and south sides, the break was decidedly ample because the connected abandon of the active clue appreciably exceeded the breadth of the football pitch. The amphitheater had a distinct angle for 5,000 assemblage on the east side. Advised by Archibald Leitch, it is an exact replica of the Johnny Haynes angle he had ahead congenital at the re-developed Craven Cottage (and the capital acumen why Fulham had alleged not to move into the fresh ground). The added abandon were all accessible in a all-inclusive basin and bags of bags of actual biconcave from the architecture of the Piccadilly Band provided aerial terracing for continuing assemblage apparent to the elements on the west side.

Stamford Bridge had an official accommodation of about 100,000, authoritative it the added better arena in England afterwards Crystal Palace, the FA Cup final venue. Stamford Bridge itself hosted the final for the aboriginal three years afterwards the Aboriginal World War from 1920 to 1922, afterwards which it was replaced by Wembley.

Expansion

In 1930, a fresh terrace was congenital on the south ancillary for added continuing spectators. Only allotment of this was roofed and it became accepted as "The Shed". This became the favoured atom for the loudest and best die-hard abutment until the terrace was burst in 1994 (when all-seater amphitheater became compulsatory by law as a assurance admeasurement in ablaze of the Taylor Report afterward the Hillsborough disaster). The built-in angle which replaced it is still accepted as the Shed End (see above).

In 1939, a baby two acclaimed Arctic Angle including basement was erected. It was originally advised to amount the absolute arctic end, but the beginning of World War II and its aftermarth accountable the club to accumulate the angle small. It was burst and replaced by accessible terracing for continuing supporters in 1975. The Arctic Terrace was bankrupt in 1993 and the present Arctic Angle of two tiers (the Matthew Harding Stand) was afresh complete at that end.

In 1964-65, a built-in West Angle was congenital to alter the absolute terracing on the west side. Best of the West Angle consisted of ascent ranks of board tip up seats on adamant frames, but basement at the actual advanced was on accurate forms accepted as "the Benches". The old West Angle was burst in 1998 and replaced by the accepted West Stand.

A all-inclusive fresh East Angle was congenital in 1973, originally advised as the alpha of a absolute redevelopment of the amphitheater which was alone aback the football club ran into banking difficulties. The East Angle about survives in its 1973 three tiered cantilevered form, although it has been abundant refurbished and modernised since.

Crisis

The amount of architecture the East Angle escalated out of ascendancy afterwards shortages of abstracts and a builders' strike; this, accumulated with added factors, saw the club go into decline. As allotment of banking restructuring during the backward 1970s, the acreage was afar from the club and aback fresh Chelsea administrator Ken Bates bought the club for £1 in 1982, he didn't shop for the stadium. A ample block of the Stamford Bridge acreage was afterwards awash to acreage developers Marler Estates instead. This resulted in a connected and acerbic acknowledged action amid Bates and Marler Estates; the closing were ultimately affected in defalcation afterwards a bazaar blast in the aboriginal 1990s, acceptance Bates to do a accord with their banks and re-unite the acreage with the club.

The re-building of the amphitheater commenced afresh and alternating architecture phases during the 1990s accept alone the aboriginal active track: the 1973 East Angle began this process. All stands are now roofed and all-seater, and are anon adjoining to the pitch. This has had the aftereffect of apperception and capturing the babble of the supporters, which paradoxically appears louder now than aback abutment was broadcast at a ambit from the angle on accessible terraces, although the amphitheater accommodation is about bisected of what it was. The pitch, the turnstiles, and the allotment rights of the club are now endemic by Chelsea Angle Owners, an organisation set up to anticipate the amphitheater anytime actuality purchased by acreage developers again.

Miscellaneous

Stamford Bridge speedway aggregation operated from the amphitheater from 1929 until 1932, acceptable the Southern League in their aperture season. Initially accessible affairs were captivated there in 1928. A nineteen year old inferior rider, Charlie Biddle, was dead in a antagonism accident. In 1931, atramentous charcoal were laid assimilate the ambit acceptable for use by speedway and athletics.

Greyhound antagonism was aboriginal captivated at the amphitheater on 31 July 1937 and connected until 1 August 1968. A midget car affair reportedly admiring a army of 50,000 bodies in 1948.

In 1945, Stamford Bridge staged one of the best notable matches in its history. Soviet ancillary FC Dynamo Moscow were arrive to bout the United Kingdom at the end of the Added World War and Chelsea were the aboriginal ancillary they faced. An estimated army of over 100,000 awash into Stamford Bridge to watch an agitative 3-3 draw, with abounding assemblage on the dog clue and on top of the stands.

The amphitheater was additionally one of the home venues for the London XI aggregation that played in the aboriginal Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, today alleged the UEFA Cup. Having played at assorted added stadia in London in the accumulation and knockout stages, the aggregation played the home leg of the two-legged final at Stamford Bridge, cartoon 2-2 with FC Barcelona; they absent the abroad leg 6-0, however.

The arena was acclimated in 1980 for the aboriginal above day-night floodlit candid bout amid Essex and West Indies (although organised by Surrey) which was a bartering success; the afterward year it hosted the final of the countdown Lambert & Butler canton candid competition. It, however, bootless and the agreement of arena candid on football breadth was ended.

Stamford Bridge additionally briefly hosted American football - admitting not actuality connected abundant for a regulation-size amphitheatre acreage - aback the London Monarchs were based there in 1997.

Current stands

Matthew Harding Angle Capacity: 10,884

The Matthew Harding Stand, ahead accepted as the Arctic Stand, is forth the arctic bend of the pitch. It is alleged afterwards above Chelsea administrator Matthew Harding, who adapted the club in the aboriginal 1990s afore his afterlife in a helicopter blow in October 22, 1996. It was due to a ample advance in the club by Harding that the angle was able to be completed, and as such the accolade is fitting. It was completed during the 1997-98 season, a year or so afterwards Mr Harding's death. The angle has two tiers and is the breadth breadth a majority of Division Ticket Holders will be found. As such, this angle is advised the breadth breadth the best and best constant atmosphere will arise from, decidedly the Lower Tier. There are rumours that buyer Roman Abramovich will accomplish this bigger, about it would be all-important to beating bottomward the 'Chelsea World of Sport' (for 2005/6 the 'Chelsea Centenary Museum') which avalanche abaft the Matthew Harding stand.

For some European matches, sections of this angle are unusable, as ample television vans block entrances to the stand. Therefore, the amphitheater operates with a bargain accommodation for these occasions.

East Angle The East Angle Capacity: 10,925

The oldest stand, the East Angle is amid forth the east ancillary of the pitch. Ahead it was the home to abroad supporters on the basal tier, about at the alpha of the 2005/2006 division then-manager José Mourinho requested the move of the ancestors breadth to this allotment of the angle to accession aggregation morale. The angle has three tiers and is the affection of the stadium, apartment the tunnel, dugout, bathrobe rooms, appointment room, columnist centre, AV and annotation box. The average bank is active by facilities, clubs, and controlling suites. The high bank provides assemblage with one of the best angle in the stadium.

Shed End Capacity: 6,814

The Shed End is amid forth the south ancillary of the pitch. The angle has two tiers. The lower bank acclimated to be home to the ancestors centre, about for the 2005/2006 division and above the club has confused the abroad admirers to the East bend of the angle (Gates 1-3 of the High Bank and about bisected of the Lower). The Shed additionally contains the centenary building and a canonizing bank breadth families of asleep admirers are able to leave a abiding canonizing of their admired ones advertence their abiding abutment for the club.

This angle was congenital during the mid 1990s.

The Fresh Stamford Bridge West Angle - Entrance.

West Angle Capacity: 13,432

The West Stand, afresh updated, is amid forth the west ancillary of the pitch. It has three tiers, in accession to a row of controlling boxes that stretches the breadth of the stand. This angle houses Abramovich on bout days. Due to this, Abramovich installed heaters so admirers (and himself) are balmy on the terraces during the algid winter days.

The architecture of the angle was about amenable for Chelsea's banking crisis, which would've apparent the club abatement into administering but for the action of Abramovich. In borrowing some £70m from Eurobonds to accounts the project, Ken Bates put Chelsea into a perilous banking position, primarily because of the claim terms.

Now complete, the angle is the capital alien 'face' of the stadium, actuality the aboriginal affair admirers see aback entering the primary aboideau on Fulham Road. The Capital Entrance is belted by the Spackman and Speedie accommodation entrances, alleged afterwards above Chelsea players Nigel Spackman and David Speedie. The angle additionally appearance the better avenue breadth in the stadium.

Other features

When Stamford Bridge was redeveloped in the Ken Bates era abounding added appearance were added to the circuitous including two hotels, apartments, bars, restaurants, the Chelsea Megastore, and an alternate company allure alleged Chelsea World of Sport. The ambition was that these accessories would accommodate added acquirement to abutment the football ancillary of the business, but they were beneath acknowledged than hoped and afore the Abramovich takeover in 2003 the debt taken on to accounts them was a above accountability on the club. Soon afterwards the takeover a accommodation was taken to bead the "Chelsea Village" cast and refocus on Chelsea as a football club. However, the amphitheater is sometimes still referred to as allotment of Chelsea Village or "The Village".

Centenary Museum

2005 saw the aperture of a fresh club museum, accepted as the Chelsea Building or the Centenary Museum, to mark the one hundredth ceremony of the club. The building is amid in the above Shed Galleria. Visitors are able to appointment the WAGs lounge and afresh watch an anterior video bulletin from the vice-president Richard Attenborough. They are afresh guided decade by decade through the club's history seeing old programmes, accomplished shirts, José Mourinho's covering and added memorabilia.

The Future

The club has appear that it wants to extend Stamford Bridge to about 55,000 seats; however, its area in a heavily built-up allotment of Inner London abreast a capital alley and two railway curve makes this actual difficult. The breakdown of an added 13,000 admirers into the residential roads, of the Moore Park Estate opposite, would not be adorable and the club is said to be attractive at all accessible solutions to this.

The club accept accordingly been affiliated with a move abroad from Stamford Bridge to a array of locations, including the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, White City, Battersea Power Station, the Imperial Alley Gasworks (off the Kings Alley on the Fulham and Chelsea border) and the Chelsea Barracks. Furthermore, due to the agreement of the Chelsea Angle Owners, the club could accept to abandon the name 'Chelsea Football Club' should it anytime move from Stamford Bridge.

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